Whatever is said on this, or other forums is not something Nikon care about. There is just too much BS going on all over, so they don't have the time and the resources to follow that up, filter out the carp and document the useful stuff. If you want to make your voice heard by them you have to send them a mail. They will definitely read that and answer. That does not mean that they will do as you want.

Even if all the 130 posts in that thread would have been posted by 130 individuals and they all would agree on the exact same things that would only be a tiny drop in a huge sea, so for Nikon it would not make much of a difference.

I think some people overestimate our importance in the world...

That last sentence says it all, unfortunately.

Nikon obviously refused to put out a V1 firmware fix for the 'handful' of enthusiasts (of which we are part) no matter how far and wide we've been clamoring for it. It's possible the next 'big fix' will be the V3, unless they've already pulled the plug on it to cut their losses.

The problem with adding new features in the firmware as opposed to fixing bugs is that the user manual would also need re-writing and distributing (probably by download with the firmware upgrade). That is just hassle for Nikon and for many users who aren't as dedicated as the users on this forum. I would go so far as to guess the majority of Nikon 1 users wouldn't even bother with an upgrade, if they even knew one was available.

Nikon also believe that updating existing cameras will eat into the sales of new models and take technical resource away from developing new models. It is a bit like Adobe's reasons for going creative cloud. They only want to develop and support the latest product and to make sure that their customers pay for a comprehensive upgrade rather than just the rectification of obvious shortcomings.

That's the argument against. Personally I think Nikon would benefit immeasurably by showing commitment to existing users by providing upgrades. To my mind they could even charge for upgrades which contain new features, if that is what is deterring them.

While it is important to describe differences, changing the entire manual is not necessary nor it is a valid excuse against firmware updates. A new function can easily be described in a one page document as an addendum to the manual. Updating the entire manual would not be needed.